Work for the Day Is Coming

Kilemba turns in bed. It’s 3:00 am and he must get moving. He has been awake half the night. He has had a difficult and very uneasy night.

Yesterday was a difficult day. The local authority brought down the sheds under which Kilemba and other urban hawkers sold their wares. The makeshift market where these city vendors trade is located at what some say is the largest informal settlement in Africa.

Luckily for Kilemba, when the city law enforcers descended, he managed to grab his stock and make a dash for it. He salvaged most of his goods and escaped without injury.

Not one to be put down easily, Kilemba adjusted to the situation. He became what you could call a mobile hawker, walking and selling his merchandise on the move; displaying his wares on his body.

Fortunately, Kilemba sells small items like socks, belts, handkerchiefs, ties, and packed, ready-to-eat nuts. For this range of goods, his body provides sufficient display space. He is a walking shop window.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

On waking up, Kilemba takes a quick breakfast of sugarless black tea and mandazi (Kenyan doughnut). He has to catch the early morning cheaper transport from his semi-rural haunt to the city center. Rents are lower away from the central business district. And transport costs are lower before the morning rush hour.

Were it not for the disruption to his life, Kilemba would have enjoyed the early morning commute. It is peaceful and quiet before the city wakes up. The early morning bus is for farmers bringing produce to the town and other early risers who want to avoid the mad rush hour.

Kilemba’s commute is not over after he reaches the city center. He still has to go to his friend Babu’s place on the other side of town, to pick up his stock.

Babu is Kilemba’s comrade-in-arms. Before the authorities demolished their “shops”, Babu and he worked side by side. The two traders used to leave their wares in the sheds where they worked, in bundles secured tightly with rope.

And surprising for an area known for insecurity, no one touches those bundles. Some say it’s witchcraft; others say it’s the disadvantaged looking out for other disadvantaged.

But with the law enforcers descending on those they brand illegal traders, Kilemba and Babu had to find a store for their wares.

And that’s how Babu came in handy. He lives about a kilometer from the makeshift market where the two industrious workers operate their businesses. The two friends took their stock to the tin-roofed and walled shack that Babu calls home.

Life in informal settlements and markets is uncertain. The authorities had warned the traders several times that they would demolish these temporary kiosks and re-claim the public land on which these city hawkers operated.

But the authorities had issued these warnings for almost a year, without follow-up action, so the traders had relaxed, assuming they would never be evicted.

“Who would have thought the local council askaris would drop in yesterday?” Kilemba wondered to himself as he headed to the city center.

“It’s as though they wanted to catch us unawares,” Kilemba continued his train of thought.

“But Babu and I are battle-hardened street operators and we managed to save the bulk of our stock,” concludes Kilemba with a wry smile.

Still, Kilemba knows the battle is not over yet. It’s much more difficult to operate as a mobile than a stationary hawker. But he looks on the brighter side. A mobile hawker has a high chance of meeting and selling to impulsive buyers. So, Kilemba will take his chances.

As he approaches the city center, he says a quick prayer for a rain-less day. Rain may be welcome for urban farmers, but not for urban hawkers.

****

Thank you for reading!

If you liked this, please add your Insights, leave a Comment, click on a Heart, or give a Tip, Pledge, or Subscribe. I appreciate any support you show for my work.

You can find more of my poems, stories, and articles on https://shopping-feedback.today/authors/wanjiru-ciira%3C/em%3E%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cstrong class="css-1mrz9mz-Bold">